The lights are on at Dove Valley, but the only man who really seems at home at franchise headquarters these days is owner Pat Bowlen.

Hey, Mr. Bowlen.

Give us our team back.

Never in the 25 years of Bowlen’s reign have the Broncos been so devoid of personality.

We don’t know the coach.

We don’t know the quarterback.

Other than cornerback Champ Bailey, Broncomaniacs don’t know whom they can trust to be in uniform tomorrow.

That’s why, in a city that draws so much of its identity from a pro football team, the current crisis of personality feels so uncomfortable.

As an NFL franchise, Denver has ceased to be anything special.

It has become easier to define the Broncos for who they are not instead of what this team is now.

Whether the reason is advancing age, unexpected pink slip, controversial trade or personal tragedy, all of these stalwarts of the way the Broncos were have left the building: receiver Rod Smith, coach Mike Shanahan, quarterback Jay Cutler, the late Darrent Williams, center Tom Nalen, linebacker Al Wilson and safety John Lynch.

Guess what? None of them is coming back.

The more things change, the more the Broncos seem to bank on the old bottom line: As quickly as they print tickets to the stadium, loyal fans will line up to buy those seats.

With Dallas, New England, Pittsburgh and the New York Giants scheduled to come to town in 2009, however, do not be surprised if Invesco Field at Mile High is far from wall-to-wall orange. Cheers for the visiting team could threaten to drown out the home-field advantage should the Broncos struggle.

So maybe we all can begin to better understand why receiver Brandon Marshall did not hesitate to pack up his box and walk out the door of Broncos headquarters in a contract dispute. It’s not as if Marshall were thumbing his nose and showing his backside to the Patriots, the Cowboys or any truly buzzworthy team.

Sure, a strong case can be made that Denver should trade Marshall before this diva can poison the locker room. And there’s also the well-reasoned argument that a young Pro Bowl receiver deserves a raise from his $2.2 million annual salary.

Ah, if only life and the messy choices that result were so simple.

Here’s betting Bowlen doesn’t have the spare coin in his cookie jar to pay Marshall. On the other hand, Denver cannot really afford to dump one of its few recognizable players.

So I’m afraid the Broncos and Marshall are stuck with each other, even if it means letting a disgruntled receiver sit at home and pout, in a holdout that could last from the start of training camp through opening kickoff of the regular season.

We want to believe the Broncos are among the elite teams in professional sports. Years have passed since that was the reality, though.

The Nuggets have a definite personality, shaped by Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony. Todd Helton has stood the test of time for the Rockies.

The Broncos? They’re coached by Josh Hoodiewannabe, with Kyle Whos-hewhatsit at quarterback.

The overt desire to reshape this team as Patriots West might well be based on sound football principles, but it’s also a slap in the face to everybody who loves Denver’s own fine football tradition.

Bowlen has been a good neighbor and a worthy caretaker of the most beloved sports franchise in Colorado.

After 25 years, this ownership has gone stale.

The Broncos are an organization in need of a change. Let’s pray Bowlen is a guy who still has the energy for making tough decisions work.

Denver has become a flyover city in the NFL empire. That doesn’t mean there’s no hope.

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